By Yiep Joseph
President of East African Civil Society Organizations Forum, Edmund Yakani has expressed concerns regarding the “unfair” treatment of travelers at border crossings.
Yakani, who is also Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) claims that individuals face discrimination and unjust treatment at the immigration offices of South Sudan and Uganda.
“This experience of hardship in citizens’/travelers’ access to immigration services is undermining the spirit and purpose of integration in the East African Community (EAC),” he said.
According to a statement extended to this outlet, the activist reported that access to immigration services at the South Sudan-Uganda border is unfair. Travelers often wait for over four hours in cold weather for immigration assistance.
He emphasized that this situation causes suffering for travelers, including elderly individuals, children, and people who are ill, as they stand in line for such long periods.
Yakani urged both the South Sudanese and Ugandan governments to instruct immigration officers to improve their services and reduce the hardships faced by travelers.
“We are urging our leaders, the Presidents of South Sudan and Uganda, to direct immigration offices to improve the process of citizens’/travelers’ access to immigration services,” Yakani said.
“Travelers are standing for over four hours in cool weather waiting for immigration services, and some of the travelers are aged persons, children, and sick persons,” he added.
He appealed to the immigration offices to take up the responsibility to ensure that travelers access services on time.
Yakani, at the capacity of East Africa Civil Society, called on the EAC lawmakers to intervene on the matter.
“As East Africa Civil Society Organizations Forum President, we will appeal to our lawmakers in the East Africa Legislative Assembly to intervene on this subject matter in a timely manner,” he said.
Yakani claimed that besides the delay in serving the travellers, there are a lot of illegal practices at the border that need an immediate response.
He added that strong organization is needed from immigration leadership of both countries for the quick delivery of immigration services.
Last year, at least 1,000 commercial trucks with goods from Uganda destined for Juba were stranded at the congested Nimule border over a high tax dispute.
The development follows the imposition of new taxes on trucks by the South Sudanese government.
According to the long-distance truck association, the taxes prompted a strike by the transport operators.